Cost of Living: Santa Cruz, CA vs San Diego, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Santa Cruz, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Cruz, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Cruz, CA and San Diego, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Cruz, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Diego, CA
- Lower home prices: San Diego, CA
- Higher median household income: Santa Cruz, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Cruz, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Cruz, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Diego, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Cruz, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo
Median rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $75/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Cruz, CA: $1,180,100 · San Diego, CA: $848,500
Median home price in Santa Cruz, CA is $331,600 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Cruz, CA: $111,427 · San Diego, CA: $104,321
Santa Cruz, CA has a higher median household income than San Diego, CA by $7,106.
Santa Cruz, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons